I agree with the drafty owners here. Listen to the actual draft owners, not the ones that don't....they really have no clue...apples and oranges really.

My first horse was a nutcase QH. Though, she was perfect for me, I had no clue what it was like to own such a 'no drama' type horse until I accidently got my percheron. This horse was 16 years old and never ridden....she wasn't even handled for at least 3 years. With her there was no such thing as training her to stand to mount, riding her through a buck, worrying about her whoa, teaching her not to run me over on the ground or teaching her to be calm on a trail and not bolt. Ok, so I figured it came from her driving a carriage in her earlier life maybe? Then I acquired my draft cross as a 2-year old....thinking can I handle training a baby. But, once I met her, something said yes. As a three year old, I started her under saddle this past year. All I had to do was basically saddle her up and get on her with her looking at me like, "Ok, what are we doing now!" I can crawl all over these horses with confidence that they will just tolerate it all. Both have given pony rides to young children and both have had beginner adults on them in the arena. As trail horses?....they will push through anything that comes their way and react to something spooky with a heavy breath and possibly freeze and back up a few steps until I encourage them to go forward. No problems.

Both of mine are extremely easy keepers. My percheron does get more of a portion in food since she weighs 2200lbs, but nothing like I though it was going to be. Farrier I would say is biggest extra expense. Her hooves are still recovering after her not having hoof care for at least three years. I was told she wouldn't pick up her feet...but I have had no problem. She is good for the farrier. Twice, in a year and a half, she has pulled her foot back from the farrier, knocking him on his butt. I've heard of some needing the use of stocks, but mine are fine without them. My percheron needs hand made shoes on her fronts or her hoof wall just crushes and she has very thin soles. However, my draft cross has regular size hooves and very good, solid ones....barefoot for her.

I personally love the reactions of people when I show up with my percheron somewhere. She is the star everywhere we go. The first reaction is mostly, "What do you do with her?" It's rather comical.

Most people who tell you negative things about owning Drafts or Heavy Horses have never actually owned one! To be a Draft owner, you need a very thick skin, selective deafness and one helluva big heart to hold all the love your Draft will give you. I own two Clydesdales. Yep, I have a bigger feed bill than the owners of ponys but then when you have a horse who weighs a ton, what do you expect.Grazing in the UK is not year round and winter feed bills are high. Summer are virtually zero. Vets bills? In two years, I have only had to shell out £70 for antibiotics to treat a bad abscess (fingers crossed) on one of my Clydesdales. The other Clydie has cost zero! Heavy horses cost no more and no less for vetinary treatment than any other equine. Costs for each procedure are standard. Medications usually cost no more than any other horse as size does not mean more...in fact with drafties, you have to use less because of their slower metabolism. Farrier? Find yourself a good farrier who will be able to keep your Draft barefoot unless he is going to do a lot of road work or be ridden over really bad surfaces. If you shoe your Draft, that is where it will start to cost a lot more. In the UK, a set of shoes for a Heavy Horse is around £200 every 4-6 weeks. Sounds like the farrier you contacted didn't do 'heavy horses'. Keep searching, you will find someone, especially if you look for farriers who are genuinely interested in barefoot or natural horse hoof care.

This is an AMAZING photograph. It is a picture of my husband David walking in a meadow with my beloved ' Patrick' Clydesdale 18.1hh. What is 'amazing'? The guy in the photo didn't like horses, never been anywhere near them, was scared of them and when he saw Patrick for the first time, nearly fainted with shock at the sheer size of him (literally!!). I just told myhusband I had bought a 'horse' never though to tell him what type. 'Clydesdale Therapy' with 'Dr Patrick Clydesdale' is one of the best therapies in the world...along with I am sure, Dr Percheron therapy, Dr Belgian Therapy, Dr Shire......and a few days later, this is what 'Dr Patrick Clydesdale' achieved. Horse phobia guy miraculously cured and able to walk with gentle giant in an open field quite happily AND have his photo taken. Believe me, you will never, ever regret owning a Draft horse. Theya re the only horse which when you sit on their backs, you can actually see directly into heaven...!

I was raised with Belgian Draft Horses and have always owned them myself as an adult. I have tried to own lighter breeds (a few QH's, a Quarab, and a STB) but they just weren't for me. My Belgian has more heart, sense, and love than any other horse I've ever met. I've raised him since he was born and will have him til the day he dies. He eats about a bale of hay a day, only 1lb of grain twice a day and that is far less than the standarbreds or thoroughbreds at the barn get! He does require more space and our trimmer charges us $45 every 6 weeks for a barefoot trim (NO shoes because he has amazing rock hard feet), as opposed to $30 for your average QH... Our vet bills are only more because he requires more when getting shots to match his weight, but I've never had to call the vet out for an injury or illness (again, the sense comes to play)... Plus, he makes my butt look smaller...

I just remembered something that "could" be viewed as a negative... Dealing with 80lbs of poo every day when I muck my girls stall!

Although, for such a large girl, she's VERY conscientiousness over keeping her stall clean. She only goes in one spot and barely messes the rest at all. AND she manages to lay down and stretch out for some REM sleep just about every night without getting in it at all.

I just remembered something that "could" be viewed as a negative... Dealing with 80lbs of poo every day when I muck my girls stall!

Although, for such a large girl, she's VERY conscientiousness over keeping her stall clean. She only goes in one spot and barely messes the rest at all. AND she manages to lay down and stretch out for some REM sleep just about every night without getting in it at all.

Yes, Belle's piles often equal two or three times the size/weight as light horses. I also can never deny the fact that it was 'my' horse that pooped when I have the only heavy on the ranch.

Welcome to the forum I own a draft and take care of other horse quarter -warm blood etc and the vet bill are the same as for a farrier you will have to find one that works I am in the area of hunters and jumper so to find a draft horse shoer it took time but I found a keeper and yes the shoes cost more but he is bigger feet

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